


For Everything Else

by Marcel10



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 05:34:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7605643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marcel10/pseuds/Marcel10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place after HTTYD2. The falling apart of Hiccup and Astrid's relationship and maybe the coming back together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Everything Else

Prologue 

It’s nothing and everything about the way he’s talking to her. They’re standing too close together for sure, and the way his head is inclined ever so slightly, his body posture aligned in such a way that he seems bent towards her even while standing straight, all of it, all of it, puts Hiccup on edge. And if he’s being completely honest with himself it’s everything and nothing about Eret himself. He is a Viking in every sense of the word, built so sturdily that strength seems second nature in everything he does. And it’s the way that he moves through the world, even when he’s unsure of his place in it, in this his new tribe, never seeming unsure of himself. This all stands in stark contrast to Hiccup, and always, if abet subconsciously, Hiccup is aware of it.  
Hiccup is also observant enough to have noticed that Eret feels a certain way about Astrid. Mostly he’s just tried to put it out of his mind. As it stands most boys their age have had, at one time or another, a crush on Astrid, if not to quite the extent or with quite the devotion of Hiccup. And more importantly Hiccup trusts Astrid, both in the way that he trusts in the good nature of everyone he meets but also on a deeper level, fundamental and instinctual, just as he trusts Toothless.  
The problem is the way she’s smiling at Eret. Not heartedly but small, closed-lipped. Kind of like a secret. And it is all too close to the way she smiles at him when they fly together in formation. When their eyes meet for a fraction of a second, less than, and suddenly they’re the only two people in the world.  
When was the last time she’s smiled at him like that? When was the last time they’d had any genuine alone time together?  
He was loosing her. Maybe not to Eret, but loosing her none-the-less. Knowing this is excruciating. And knowing that it’s his fault; unbearable. 

It started with their after-dinner flights. Or rather, it started when Hiccup became to busy for them.  
There was the business of being chief and how it was way harder than he thought it would be. And he had expected it to be pretty hard. He just hadn’t expected everyone to have so much faith in him, and for the pressure he felt making every decision, big or small.  
So he worked tirelessly. He had to live up to Stoick. He had to do this FOR Stoick. Everyone was depending on him and he could not let them down. Could not become Hiccup the useless, Hiccup the disaster again.  
But if he was being completely honest with himself he probably could have found time for these flights, at least once or twice a week. But then she would look at him with her big blue eyes, and instead of seeing the usual fire in them he’d see only sadness. That’s the way she’d starting looking at him ever since his had father died. And he just couldn’t bear her sadness as well as his own. He was so use to handling things on his own; that was the way it had been most of his life, even if things had started to change the past few years. He could handle this on his own as well.  
In his absence she started spending more time with the others; Snoutlout, Fishlegs, Ruff and Tuff, and now Eret. To Hiccup it seemed like they grew closer together and once again he was the outsider. Instead of trying to fix this he embraced his isolation. Instead of flying out with Astrid he flew alone with Toothless deep into the night. 

Chapter 1

Hiccup is watching Astrid, hiding in the doorway of the training center, barely breathing because he knows that her hearing is ridiculously good and he isn’t ready for her to notice him yet. He just wants to watch her as she unsaddles Stormfly. She’s so gentle when she does this, even though she’s so tough when doing almost anything else. 

Technically she’s still his finance, but there’s so much space between them that going over to her and kissing her seems physically impossible, even though there is nothing in the world that he’d rather do. The more sardonic side of him appreciates the irony in the situation: that once upon a time he’d loved Astrid so desperately and hopelessly and now after so much has happened here he was again seemingly back at the beginning. 

After what seems like a billion years Hiccup finally pushes himself off the wall he’s leaning on and walks over to her. He feels pathetic for the amount of time it took him to work up the courage for this. She is gorgeous and he is an idiot. 

“Good evening, Milady”  
“Hi Hiccup” 

She says his name so tentatively, like a question, like she’s surprised to see him. She is surprised to see him. There is also resignation, and sadness. 

When he doesn’t supply any further conversation she picks up Stormfly’s saddle and walks inside leaving him to follow her. 

“How, umm, how was your flight with Stormfly?”

She doesn’t respond. He doesn’t blame her. Feeling like he has nothing left to loose he decides to just throw the truth out there.

“Astrid, I miss you.”

It takes a few minutes for her respond, but when she does it’s heartbreaking.

“Do you, Hiccup?” 

And before he can respond to assure her that he does,

“Hiccup, do you know what today is?”

Because of course today had been the date that was suppose to be their wedding. Before Stoick had died, before he had become chief, before they had decided to postpone their wedding, at her suggestion, because it seemed like Hiccup was suffocating under all the new-found pressure and she didn’t want to add to it. 

And he had forgotten.

Clever, witty Hiccup finds himself at a loss for words. Mostly because there are no words to fix this.

“Astrid, I…”

“Just stop Hiccup. I want to be supportive, I really do. I’ve tried being there for you. I’ve tried giving you space. I don’t know what you want. But I know that it’s not me.”

He feels like he’s about to cry but doesn’t because this is Astrid and weakness has never impressed her. Gods know that all he’s ever wanted to be was what she wanted and now, unequivocally, he has failed. 

“Astrid, that’s not true, I love you.”

“I love you too Hiccup.” 

And in typical Astrid fashion she comes over to him and kisses him lightly; the little bit of sweetness after causing him pain. 

“But I can’t do this anymore.”


End file.
